Mischief Managed
by Frost Hobbit
Summary: Friends like these don't come along every day. A series of glimpses into the lives of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs and their adventures at Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I've finally written some Harry Potter fanfic! Hmm...well, I pretty much wrote this one because I love the Marauders to no end and thought it would be fun to write about their lives at school. I'm not following any _particular_ plot, particularly in this chapter. This story will mainly be a bunch of snippets from James, Sirius, Remus and Peter's lives at school. It's proving to be very fun to write. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Sirius would not have died. Therefore we can deduce that I, sadly, do not own it.**

**Chapter One: In which Remus studies, and Sirius and James are appalled.**

Someone slapped a hand over the page Remus was poring over, covering it from view. Remus looked up irritably to see the grinning faces of Sirius Black and James Potter. They sat down on either side of him while the fire crackled in front of them in the warm Gryffindor common room.

"Studying again, Moony?" Sirius asked conversationally.

"I thought we broke him of that nasty habit, Padfoot," James said across him.

"What is this rubbish?" Sirius snatched the book away from Remus. "_Achievement in Charming_....oh, _please_..."

Remus leaned over to grab it back, but Sirius tossed it over the back of the couch. Remus rolled his eyes. "O.W.L.s are in seven weeks, mate. If you want to be unprepared, that's your problem, but some of us actually want to do well."

"Hear that, Prongs?" Sirius asked, grinning impishly. "Moony thinks we can't pass without studying....seven weeks, I ask you...."

"He's finally cracked, I'm afraid to say." James grabbed Remus by the back of the neck playfully. Remus jerked away.

"Will you cut it out?" Remus asked grumpily. "I can't understand how the two of you live with yourselves. Passing every exam, still having all the teachers like you despite all the trouble you make...."

"It's because we're cleverer and much better looking than you," Sirius explained. "Right, Mary?" he added to a passing girl.

Mary looked bewildered. "What?"

"Just agree," Sirius whispered, tossing his long dark hair out of his eyes.

"_Don't_ agree," Remus countered him.

Mary gave a nervous laugh and moved on.

"Anyway, you're awfully moody today, Moony," James said.

"That time of the month, is it?" Sirius grinned.

Remus went a little red in the face. "Shut it, Pad."

"Aw, what's wrong? No one's going to find out. If they overhear me saying that, the worst they'll think is that you're secretly a woman, not that you're a were-"

"I said, _shut it_, Sirius," Remus repeated loudly, glancing around nervously.

"Ooh, Prongs, listen to him." Sirius smirked.

"He called you 'Sirius,' Padfoot, you're not even good enough for your nickname anymore - reckon you'd better watch out before you're in _serious_ trouble - "

"Oh, shut up, both of you," Remus cut in, laughing in spite of himself. "Right. You both are acting awfully proud of yourselves, what've you done this time?" He said this with a hint of exasperation.

James and Sirius exchanged an evil grin. "Bewitched a pile of Stinkpellets to follow Snivellus wherever he goes - " James began.

"Bouncing off his back with every step he takes," Sirius finished with his carefree grin.

Remus had to hide a smile. He'd never really admitted it, but he hated Severus Snape quite as much as James and Sirius did. "That's what I'm talking about - how d'you do it? Get away with all that stuff? If I tried half of it, I'd get caught, and McGonagall would have me in detention until - "

"Ah, no, she wouldn't," James said earnestly.

"Anyway, McGonagall _loves_ you, Moony. She'd _marry_ you if you asked her," Sirius continued, just as earnestly.

"When's the wedding, Moony?" James teased.

"Can I be your best man? Please oh please oh please?" Sirius looked at him innocently.

"Moony and McGonagall." James clutched his heart. "Such a beautiful couple!"

"What'll their kids look like, James? I hope they look like McGonagall - ow!"

Remus had finally punched Sirius lightly in the arm, grinning.

Sirius clutched his arm, looking at Remus reproachfully. "Remus Lupin, you've injured me. That _hurt_!"

"It did not, you big baby - "

"Yes it did, just _look_ - that's going to leave a bruise!" Sirius rolled up his sleeve and examined his arm closely. "Moony, Moony, Moony....you werewolves don't know your own strength!"

"I-said-keep-your-voice-down-about-that!" Remus said loudly in one breath, staring straight ahead. "Now if one of you would be so kind as to pick up my Charms book...I actually do need to study."

James and Sirius exchanged a look. "All right, Moony," James gave in, reaching over the back of the couch to pick up the book Sirius had dropped.

"But you owe us later!" Sirius said warningly.

"Now while you waste away your youth in front of that _textbook_ - " James snorted with laughter. "I believe Padfoot and I have some business to attend to." Sirius and James stood up together and exited the common room.

**A/N Reviews are much appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hi, all! Hmmm...I have to admit I haven't read a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction lately, but evidently I'm not the only one to be writing a fic about the Marauders at school. Whoops. Ah well. Hopefully people will still be interested in reading mine! Thanks to anyone who does. In this chapter I've finally gained something resembling (gasp) a plot??? A random plot, but still, a plot! Hooray!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Remus and Tonks would have gotten more mention at the end of Deathly Hallows.**

**Chapter Two - In which the plot takes a random turn, and Lily Evans makes dinner awkward**

Remus closed his Charms textbook and stood up to head down to the Great Hall for dinner. Upon exiting the portrait hole, he bumped straight into his friend Peter Pettigrew.

"Ouch - oh, sorry, Remus!" Peter rubbed his head and blinked up at him with small watery eyes.

"Hello, Peter," Remus said. "Seen Sirius and James?"

"No, not since they went and hid in that secret passageway behind the tapestry on the seventh floor - Professor McGonagall found out about them charming all those Stinkpellets to follow Snape around - "

"Yes, I heard about that," Remus cut in, smiling faintly. "Why didn't you hide with them?"

"Oh, I didn't actually charm the Stinkpellets," Peter continued. "That was all James and Sirius. I just - er, watched," he finished lamely.

Remus wasn't surprised. Peter had never been quite as good a wizard as Sirius or James. Little though he liked to admit it, Remus was often impressed by their spellwork. "Well, I'd still be careful, Wormtail," Remus warned as they set off to the Great Hall. "McGonagall could still get on you for not stopping them."

"I don't think she even knows I was there, to tell the truth," Peter admitted, shrugging. "Wonder if they'll get off without detention again?"

"A little detention would serve them right once in awhile," Remus muttered. "Though, knowing them, they could easily get away without it..." He pushed opened the doors of the Great Hall and he and Peter took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Sirius and James sat down across from them moments later.

"I suppose the two of you are pleased?" Remus said, helping himself to a chicken leg.

"Very," agreed James, pouring pumpkin juice into two goblets and shoving one toward Sirius. "Should've been there, Moony...one of our most excellent escapes yet, I'd say."

A loud tut greeted these words and the four boys looked over at the redhaired girl sitting several seats away from Sirius.

"If you've got something to say, Evans, might as well say it now," Sirius said condescendingly.

James jabbed him with a fork. "Don't take that tone with her!" He raised his eyebrows and leaned past Sirius to look at Lily Evans. "Sorry, Evans, what was that?"

"I just think you're being a little _arrogant_," Lily said loftily. "_I'm_ a prefect - I could put you in detention myself for what you did to Severus - "

"Oh, but you won't," James guessed with a smile.

"No," Lily answered with dignity. "But only because I don't want a reputation as a snitch - "

"You've already got quite a reputation, Evans," Sirius said, frowning. "For having a temper..."

"That's right." She tossed her fiery hair over her shoulders and slid down the bench so she could talk to them more easily. Sirius edged away as though touching her might burn his skin. "Look, the lot of you are nothing but bullies - well, the two of you are," she amended, looking at James and Sirius.

"C'mon, Evans, it wasn't even that bad!" James protested, looking at her hopefully.

"That's not the point," Lily snapped at him. "The point is that you're awful to Severus every time you see him - "

"What in Merlin's name are you doing defending him?" Sirius looked bewildered. "That slimy git - "

"She's friends with him, Sirius," Peter reminded him.

"Ugh! What does she see in him, James?" Sirius demanded.

Lily's eyes flashed. "I'll thank you not to talk about me as if I'm not here, Black!" she snapped. "But Pettigrew is right - Sev is my friend, you can't expect me not to defend him...let's say someone came along and..." She paused as if thinking. "Say someone started - attacking Remus like the two of you do Severus - " Remus jumped at the mention of his name; he hadn't really been paying attention. "Wouldn't you defend _him _like I do for Severus?"

"Of course we would!" Sirius looked scandalized at the very notion. "But see, Remus hasn't done anything to deserve an attack - whereas Snivellus..."

"Don't call him that!" Lily snarled.

"All right, all right, Snape then - it's not like he misses a chance to jinx _us_, does he?" Sirius raised his eyebrows and grinned, certain he'd won.

Lily appeared to be at a loss for words. "But Sev - "

"Oh, so it's okay for Snape to hex _us_, but not for us to hex _him_, that right?"

"It's because she likes Snape," James said disgustedly.

"The lot of you are worse than Severus anyway!" Lily finally said, outraged. "The only one who might amount to anything is Remus, and even that's chancy at best because he just sits by and watches while the two of you jinx everyone who gets in your way!" Lily glared at Remus.

He recognized the truth in her words and deliberately looked away.

"That's because Remus is a good friend." Sirius reached across the table and clapped Remus on the shoulder. "Right, Moony?"

Lily rolled her eyes irritably. "And that's another thing that gets on my nerves - the four of you and your stupid little nicknames. You think you're so cool - !"

"Evans, my dear," James finally interjected. "I do believe you are merely jealous of our greatness."

Lily laughed. "Jealous? Of _you_, Potter?"

"Well, you must admit you admire us a little." James bit into a piece of bread and grinned at her. "Or you wouldn't even be here talking to us."

Lily snorted and said nothing. James nodded knowingly. "I'm right, then, aren't I?" He smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Want to come into Hogsmeade with me this weekend, Evans?"

"Not on your life, Potter," she answered, reverting to the bored tone she used each time she turned James down.

"You know, you could say yes for a change - "

"Remus," Lily said abruptly, reaching over and grabbing him by the wrist. "D'you want to do me a favor?"

Remus looked up from his plate in surprise. "What?" he asked warily.

"You know prefects are supposed to help patrol the hallways this weekend - after the Hogsmeade visit, I mean? To make sure no one - " Here she shot a meaningful glance at James and Sirius, " - is taking advantage of their new Zonko's toys or anything?"

"Yes," Remus answered, just as cautiously.

"I'm supposed to be doing that Saturday evening, but I've got another commitment - "

"With _what_?" Sirius asked incredulously. "_Studying_?"

"No, Charms Club," Lily answered severely. "Remus, please will you switch shifts with me? I'll take over yours."

"Er...yeah, I suppose so," Remus said, still a little bewildered by the sudden change of subject from Snape to prefect duties.

Lily smiled widely. "Thanks so much!" She stood, seemed to consider something, then leaned over and kissed Remus on the cheek. She glared at James, then walked off to join her friends down the table.

Remus stared after her in a state of complete shock.

"Remus." Sirius snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Come out of it, mate."

James was staring at Remus as though he might quite like to hit him. "What the bloody hell was that?"

Remus blinked slowly. "I - I have no idea."

"Since when does Lily Evans fancy Moony?" Sirius demanded, looking suspiciously over his shoulder at her.

"I thought she hated the lot of us!" Peter chimed in.

"She must have some ulterior motive." James looked nervous. "Mates....we might have a situation."

**A/N Reviews are appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Sorry for the delay getting this up...I'm incredibly lazy, hehe. Thanks to the two who've reviewed this fic! I hope you like this chapter...the Marauders and Lily are such fun to write.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter Three - In which Lily is amused, and James has an idea**

"Let me get this straight, Lil." Mary's eyes widened at Lily. "You kissed Remus Lupin?"

"On the cheek!" Lily reminded her friend hastily. "And only to annoy Potter, you know that."

"Is that why James and his friends keep looking over here?" Mary gestured over Lily's shoulder toward the fireplace, where James and Remus were sitting with Sirius and Peter.

She looked around and saw the four boys quickly turn their heads away. Lily giggled loudly. "I expect so, yes."

Mary shook her head. "_Why_, Lily? James is already crazy about you - you've probably just made him want you even more - "

Lily shrugged. "James is not my type. He ought to know that. Anyway, of the four of them, Remus is the one I can stand the most - "

"So you _kissed_ him?" Mary seemed to be having trouble grasping what Lily was saying.

"Yes, well - I suppose I thought maybe if Potter thought I fancied one of his friends he might stay away for a bit. I thought about Black, but - " She eyed Sirius over her shoulder with distaste. "Black's almost worse than Potter, in his way."

"I'd pick Sirius over Remus," Mary said thoughtfully, looking over at the boys again, all of whom looked rather terrified at the sudden attention.

"Well, I suppose if you like the arrogant, obnoxious type!" Lily snorted.

"But he's so - "

"Oh, he's good-looking enough, but the problem is he knows it." She cast a rather condescending look over at them.

"_Minor_ problem, Lil," Mary countered, shaking her head. "Minor problem."

----

"Think they're talking about us?" Peter asked, nodding nervously over at Lily and her friend.

"Well - they're talking about Moony and Prongs, I suppose, but I'm not sure what they'd have to say about you, Wormy," Sirius laughed, giving Peter a pat on the shoulder.

"Please, can we focus on the problem at hand?" James waved his arms wildly, eyes wide and glasses askew. He sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the fire. Peter sat on the end of the couch, with Sirius perched on the arm of the same couch. Remus was sitting rather quietly in the armchair next to the fire. "Look, Remus - you've barely said a word since dinner - "

"Since Evans kissed him, you mean." Sirius smirked at Remus. "'Sa matter, Moony? Never happened before?"

"Shut it, Sirius," Remus said for the third time that evening.

"Aw - c'mon, Moony, it _was_ funny!"

James and Remus both glared at Sirius. "You just think this is all a big joke, don't you?" James demanded.

"Prongs, old friend - " Sirius leaned against the back of the couch, flipping his hair out of his eyes and grinning broadly. "I have to say you are quite right. And," he went on, loudly overriding James's squawk of dismay, "if it was me in your position, you'd think it funny too!"

James was at a loss for words. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, then shrugged and made a quiet grunt of assent. Then he rounded on Remus. "So what's going on between you and Lily?" he demanded.

"Nothing!" Remus's eyes widened in surprise. "C'mon, Prongs, you know that. You're with me almost all the time - have you ever seen me talking to Lily?"

"We're not with you all the time," Sirius interjected with a wink. "There's all those hours you spend _studying_ in the library....maybe it's not the books he's in love with after all...." He trailed off suggestively.

"Sirius, shut up," James said, echoing Remus. "But - you haven't talked to Lily recently? She hasn't said anything to you? About when she started fancying you, for example?"

"I'm telling you, the last time I talked to Lily by herself was after you and Padfoot got detention for hexing Bertram Aubrey so his head inflated!" Remus insisted. "And all she did was ask me how someone as - well, as smart as I am end up being friends with such a pair of idiots? Her words, not mine," he added hastily after Sirius sat up indignantly.

"And you said...?" prompted James.

Remus shrugged. "Just that you're not complete idiots - I said you're actually really smart. She said she supposed she knew that, only you didn't show it by the way you behave."

"You remember every detail of this conversation?" James asked, looking suspicious.

"Ah, but James, you have to remember, this is the man who can actually remember details about _Binns's_ lecture. A simple conversation would be no trouble, I'm sure," Sirius pointed out, still grinning as though he were thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Hmmm..." James looked thoughtful. "You could ask her about it, Remus, I suppose..."

"About why she kissed me?" Remus demanded. "Yeah, how about I do that? And while I'm at it, I'll march up to the werewolf who bit me when I was a kid and ask him why he did it!" Remus rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair.

"Did you just compare Lily to an angry werewolf?" Peter asked, blinking.

"Think he did, Wormtail," Sirius said, looking around at Remus. "Not a bad analogy, now I think of it...damn it, Moony, next time I see you at the full moon I'm only going to be thinking how much you resemble Evans when she gets angry!"

James laughed. "She does bear a certain resemblance...on the whole, I think she's better looking."

"Do you?" Sirius asked. "Ugh, most of the time I'd have to say Moony is. Evans just gets that look in her eyes, it's very scary and rather unattractive as well." Remus rolled his eyes again and unsuccessfully tried to suppress a laugh.

"Oh come now, Remus, don't be modest, you know it's true. Wormtail, your opinion?" Sirius asked, giving him a nudge.

"Wormtail." James sat up straight and snapped his fingers. "That's it! Bask in my brilliance, I have an idea!"

"You have an idea?" Remus laughed. "Might it be an idea that will land the four of us in detention again?"

"No, just Peter, but only if he's caught."

Peter looked a little startled. It wasn't often James's complicated plots used him as a focus point. "What?" he asked warily.

James pointed at him and grinned. "You're going to spy for us."

"Me, a spy?" sputtered Peter. "How - and for what?"

"Isn't it obvious?" James answered impatiently. "You can turn into a rat, can't you? You can sneak up to the girls' dormitory and listen to them talking about us!" He grinned as if pleased with himself and leaned against the wall next to the fire.

Remus was shaking his head and laughing.

"What's the matter with you?" Sirius demanded, looking alarmed for Remus's sanity.

"Nothing," Remus chuckled. "It's just - James, you would be full of yourself enough to think that you're all the girls talk about when they're in their dormitory."

"I don't assume I'm _all _they talk about!" James retorted, stung.

"Yes, they also talk about _me_, don't they?" Sirius said, smirking.

"I suppose so - what d'you think they say?"

"Probably just talk about how they wish us boys were allowed in their dormitory, I'd say."

"Yes, most likely - what, Peter?" James asked. Peter was looking rather nervous.

"Well, it's like Sirius said - if boys try and get into the girls' dormitory, the stairs turn into a slide, don't they?" Peter reminded them.

"They do, I suppose," James said unconcernedly. "Padfoot and I found that out third year, remember, Pad?"

"Yup," Sirius said, a faraway look in his eyes as if recalling fond memories. "Weren't we trying to get up there to deliver Evans a Valentine present?"

"If I remember correctly, yes we were," answered James. "Wormtail - it shouldn't matter for you, you'll be a rat. Even if it does become a slide, you'll only have to creep up along the edge with your little rat feet...shouldn't be too difficult."

"Easy for you to say!" Peter muttered. "When's this little maneuver to take place?"

"Tonight, of course," James answered promptly. "When the incident is fresh in everyone's minds. We weren't the only ones to see what Evans did at dinner today. They're sure to be discussing it."

**A/N Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Yes...it's been awhile since I've updated. I guess I'm rather known for being inconsistant in my writing. XD Sorry. Hope you enjoy this chapter anyway! These guys are such fun to write.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, book or movies....or any of the characters for that matter.**

**Chapter Three - In which Peter practices his spying skills. As we know all too well, he'll need them later in life.**

Peter crept up the stairs to the girls' dormitory in his rat form, heart pounding against his tiny rib cage. To his relief, the stairs had remained stairs. Apparently a male rat didn't count as a boy.

He reached the top of the stairs and rose onto his hind legs, looking around. Everything looked a little different through a rat's eyes. Things were blurred, a little distorted. He had to crane his neck and squint in order to make out the writing on each door. Finally he located the door labeled "Fifth Years," and scurried over. Peter paused and contemplated the prospect of how he was going to get in. Eventually he concluded that there was nothing else for it - he'd have to squeeze under the door. Exceptionally glad Sirius and James weren't there to laugh at the sight of him, he flattened himself as much as he could and painfully dragged himself under the door.

The first thing Peter noticed was that the girls' dormitory was not very different than the boys'. Theirs was a little brighter, perhaps, but it could be just that they had more lamps lit.

"Hestia, d'you mind closing the curtains over there?" Peter recognized Lily's voice and swiveled his head her way. She was sitting on her bed, wrapped in a dressing gown with slippers on her feet, her vivid red hair making her instantly recognizable. "The breeze is a little chilly."

The dark haired girl closest to the window drew the curtains shut. "Did anyone finish that essay for McGonagall?" Hestia asked anxiously. "I wasn't sure exactly what she wanted - "

"I'm done with mine," answered Lily's friend Mary Macdonald. "If you like, I'll have a look at yours tomorrow and see if it's all right."

"That's be great." Hestia appeared relieved. "Hey, where've Leah and Natalie gone? It's after hours, they'll be in trouble if they're caught out..."

At that precise moment, Peter heard footsteps quickly approaching from the hall outside. He barely managed to duck under Lily's bed before the door swung open and two girls, giggling helplessly, rushed inside and slammed the door.

"Where've you been?" Lily demanded, sounded exasperated but amused. Not so different from the way Remus sometimes spoke to Sirius and James, Peter thought.

"Lost track of time," gasped one girl. "I was in the library, waiting for Leah - she was probably off snogging that Ravenclaw boy somewhere - "

"I was not!" The girl, Leah, sounded indignant. "I wasn't, Nat!"

"Anyway, when Leah finally got back to the library we'd missed curfew and had to run for it back here before someone caught us," Natalie giggled.

"And ooh, Lily, we heard something about you..."

Peter's ears pricked up.

"Did you really kiss _Remus Lupin_ on the cheek at dinner tonight?"

There was a thud - Hestia appeared to have dropped something. "What?" she yelped. "_Remus_?"

"She did, I saw her!" Mary's voice said delightedly.

"Thanks so much, Mary," Lily said. Her bed shook as she flopped back onto it and Peter almost ran out from under it - he felt as if it could collapse upon him at any moment.

"So when did you start liking _him_?" Leah's voice sounded gleeful.

Lily sighed. "I don't, really. I mean, he's very nice but - honestly, I'd only ever think of him as a friend."

"Ooh, Lily, I'd never have thought it of you!" Natalie sounded just as excited by the gossip.

"Thought what?" Lily sounded bewildered.

"That you'd lead someone on like that!"

"_What_? I'm not! Remus doesn't even like me that way!"

"He _used_ to, I think," Mary said thoughtfully. "Couple years ago...maybe even last year...."

"I thought it was only James who fancies Lily?" Hestia asked. "Well - James and that Snape boy in Slytherin - " Hestia's voice expressed a note of distaste.

Lily laughed. "_Severus_ and I really are just friends. He's really not so bad, we've been friends for years. As for Potter....yes....I know he fancies me. That was part of the reason I kissed Remus, _not_ that it's any of your business."

"Oooh!" Natalie and Leah dissolved into giggles again. Peter felt slightly irritated at them. Natalie and Leah were the type to giggle at just about anything - he himself had been the cause of their laughter on numerous occasions. On the last instance, James had finally gotten annoyed enough to send a jinx their way. Unfortunately, it had been in the middle of a Herbology lesson, and Professor Sprout had deducted ten points from Gryffindor.

"What?" demanded Lily irritably.

"So you only used Remus to make James jealous?" Natalie asked amid giggles.

"I wouldn't say I _used _him," Lily answered. "Like I told Mary earlier - of Potter and his friends, Remus is the one I like most - and he's more my type than Potter will ever be..."

"So are you going to go on with this?" Leah asked eagerly. "Pretending you fancy Remus?"

"No!" Lily seemed shocked. "That's _mean_! I won't do that to him....maybe _you_ would, Leah...."

Natalie and Leah seemed vaguely disappointed.

Lily put out the lamp next to her bed. "If you all don't mind, I'm going to bed now." Lily still seemed a little irritated as she forcefully pulled the hangings around her bed closed.

Having nothing more to hear, Peter scurried out from under Lily's bed and made his way out of the girls' dormitory and back to his own. He wiggled under the doorway and with a pop, turned back into himself, his back a painful from crawling under doors.

"Wormtail, mate! You made it!" James grinned.

"So how were the ladies?" Sirius asked, flipping himself onto his stomach and smirking over at Peter.

Peter went over and sat on his bed next to James's. "Well, first there was a load of talk about homework and whether or not Leah'd been off snogging some Ravenclaw bloke - "

"Bet she was, mate, I see them together all the time," Sirius interjected snidely.

"But anyway, then Leah and Natalie started asking Lily about Remus and she says she only thinks of him as a friend."

James looked relieved, Sirius bemused. "I didn't even know she liked him _that_ much."

Peter threw a pillow across the room so it hit Remus, who was laying on his bed, reading. "Oi! And Mary reckons Remus used to fancy Lily."

James whipped his head around. Rubbing his neck, he asked, "_Did _you?"

Remus looked up. "Well, yes, I suppose so, but that was years ago. Second year, as a matter of fact - "

"You never said anything about that!" James cried indignantly. "Why didn't you?"

"I was _twelve_, James," Remus said patiently. "And I got over her pretty quickly - once it was clear she didn't want anything to do with any of us - "

"Blimey, Remus...." Sirius shook his head. "I thought we didn't have any secrets from each other!"

"It's nothing to be worked up about!" Remus was turning rather red.

James folded his arms. "Yes…well….you ought to have told me!"

"Well, I'm terribly sorry, James. I thought it was irrelevant," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

James muttered something unintelligible and hopped onto his bed.

"Cheer up, mate," Sirius said. "We've just found out Evans does not, in fact, fancy Moony. You ought to be thrilled."

"We've also found out Moony likes to keep secrets from his friends," James said, his voice muffled by his blankets.

"Well, we already knew that, didn't we. He kept the werewolf business quiet for quite some time." Sirius leapt onto James's bed and snuggled under the covers with him. "Don't be mad at Remus. Cheer up, or I'll have to make you."

James glared at Sirius. "Get out of my bed, Black."

"Only if you promise you won't be angry anymore," Sirius said, poking James on the nose. James swatted his hand away.

"Sirius…" Remus said warningly.

"All right, all right! Merlin's beard. I was never even angry, now get out of my bed, you sick-minded canine." James aimed a kick at Sirius as he tumbled to the floor.

"Such violence…" Sirius crawled back into his own bed, shaking his head.

Remus put out the lamp next to his bed. "Good night, everyone," he said firmly.

"Good night, Moony."

"Night, Sirius."

"Night, Prongsie!"

"Good night, Padfoot."

"Night, Wormtail, old pal."

"Sleep tight, Sirius."

There was silence in the dormitory for several moments. "Moony?" Sirius hissed.

"Yes, Sirius?"

"D'you reckon if we send Wormy back into the girls' dormitory….and if I were to concentrate very hard on myself…"

"That wouldn't be difficult for you, would it?"

"No, _but if I did_….would I work my way into their minds and then they would talk about me and Wormtail could let us know how charming they think I am?"

"Sirius? You think yourself charming enough already."

"But it's always nice to hear it again…."

"Sirius?"

"Yes, Moony?"

"Please go to sleep."

"Yes, Moony."

**A/N Reviews are appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: One again, I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter Five - In which Sirius is distracted by an inkwell**

Sirius rested his chin on his desk, tapping the tip of his quill and staring at Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Trying to figure out how to disrupt class, mate?" Remus asked irritably.

"No," Sirius said vaguely. "Trying to decide if McGonagall's inkwell is staring at me or not..."

Remus stared at him. "Padfoot, it's an inkwell. It's not staring at anyone."

"Yes it is!" Sirius answered indignantly. "And yeah, it's distracting me." He lifted his head and shot his hand into the air.

Professor McGonagall looked rather startled. "Yes, Black?" she asked warily. Sirius raising his hand in class never led to anything good.

"Professor, can you please move your inkwell? It's looking at me and I can't learn with an inkwell looking at me." Sirius rested his chin in his hand and blinked at her.

"It's an _inkwell_!" Remus said. "It's not _alive_!"

"Black, I'll thank you not to interrupt my class with pointless remarks," Professor McGonagall said crisply, and turned away.

Sirius slumped down in his chair and drummed his fingers on the desk. He sighed.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Black?" Professor McGonagall asked with an edge to her voice.

"I'm really sorry, Professor, the inkwell - it just looks like it's looking at me, and it's very distracting."

Several people giggled. Across the room, James grinned. "Sirius, mate, have you finally lost it?"

"No...look, Professor, I'll be quiet for the rest of class and I'll actually listen to you if you just move the inkwell." Sirius gazed up at her innocently.

Professor McGonagall looked at him sternly, then sighed and moved the inkwell across her desk. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you." Sirius grinned.

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Professor," James said loudly, thrusting his own hand into the air with a grin.

"What _is_ it, Potter?"

"Now it's looking at me."

Professor McGonagall looked furious. "That's _quite_ enough!" she snapped. "Black, Potter - enough of this nonsense. You will see me after class."

Sirius smirked, put his head back on his arms, and continued tapping his quill on his desk, much to Remus's annoyance.

The bell rang some twenty minutes later and James sauntered over to Sirius and Remus, Peter close behind. Sirius was throwing his books into his bag one by one. Remus rolled his eyes. "Hurry up, please."

"You've forgotten, mate, McGonagall asked to see Prongs and me." Sirius grinned, looking altogether amused by this development.

"Quite right, Black." McGonagall strode down the aisle toward them. "Lupin - Pettigrew - move along, please. Your friends will join you after I speak with them." Her eyes glinted sternly over the tops of her glasses.

Sirius continued grinning. "See you in Charms, mate," he said to Remus before following Professor McGonagall and James into her office.

McGonagall shut the door behind them and collapsed behind her desk. She pointed to the chairs across from it. "Sit."

James and Sirius sat, exchanging looks with each other.

McGonagall rubbed her temples. "Remind me of your ages, please."

"Sixteen," Sirius said, tilting his chair back on two legs.

"I'm fifteen. _Almost_ sixteen," James said.

McGonagall sat up and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. "Of course. And this is your fifth year at this school - a very important year, need I remind you - "

"Yes, yes, O.W.L.s and all," Sirius interjected carelessly, tilting his chair precariously farther back.

"Mr. Black, if you tilt your chair much farther you will fall and crack your head, and I assure you I will not be cleaning up your blood!" McGonagall shot at him, eyes flashing. "Yes - this is your O.W.L year - and I think it's time I had a chat with the both of you."

She glared at them impressively until James finally asked, "About what, Professor?"

"About the amount of effort you put into your work." She sat back in her chair. "Both of you pass at the top of every class - "

"Us?" protested James.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, you, as you know perfectly well." McGonagall fixed him with a hard stare. "Yet both of you put very little effort into your work."

"So? We don't need to," scoffed Sirius. "What's your point?"

"My point, Mr. Black, is that you and Mr. Potter could be two of the most extraordinary wizards in the school if you worked half as hard as some students. You're that intelligent."

"We know that." Sirius was still smirking.

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Obviously." She leaned over her desk. "Listen to me. You are in your fifth year. What was cute and funny in first year is _not_ anymore. It's time you started acting your age!"

"What's the point?" James asked, grinning impudently.

"We've got Remus to act _his_ age - what do we need to for?" Sirius chimed in.

"This is not about Mr. Lupin," McGonagall said firmly. "This is about the two of you. Younger students look up to their seniors - you want to set a better example."

"What've we done wrong?" Sirius asked, looking hurt.

"I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it is for a teacher to see such exceptional talent in two boys who refuse to apply themselves," McGonagall said. "And choose to waste their talents on terrorizing other students."

"That's not all we do," James said indignantly. Unfortunately, the other things they used their talents for - like the Marauder's Map they were in the process of making, and their Animagus forms - were meant to be secrets.

McGonagall's mouth was a thin line. "Mr. Potter, all I would ask of you is that you apply yourself to your schoolwork a little more."

"And abandon everything good and fun in the world?" Sirius let his chair land on all four legs with a thud.

McGonagall sighed. "I expected you might have this attitude. The other teachers and I think my having a talk with the two of you is long overdue - I thought perhaps you would mature on your own, but this is showing no signs of happening." She fixed them with a beady stare. "Let me put things in perspective for you. Outside Hogwarts, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is gathering followers. Professor Dumbledore - and I do not tell you this lightly! - is putting together a very strong organization of talented witches and wizards committed to fighting against him - the Order of the Phoenix. You both are very good in Defense Against the Dark Arts - " James and Sirius were know listening intently to her, " - and the headmaster has asked me to inform you that after you have finished your schooling he would more than welcome you into the Order. However," she continued over James and Sirius's gasps of excitement, "should your behavior not improve, and quickly, I shall think twice before passing on my good recommendations to the headmaster!"

"We want to fight You-Know-Who!" James said indignantly.

"We hate the Dark Arts!" added Sirius.

"I am aware of that, Black," said Professor McGonagall. "So I should think that from now on you'll put a little more thought into your behavior - and how you present yourselves as young men, and as role models to the younger students."

James and Sirius looked at each other. McGonagall was good. She was offering them a high honor - and invitation to join the Order of the Phoenix - and at the same time threatening to take it away if they didn't mature. "All right, Professor," James said finally.

McGonagall turned to Sirius. "Black?"

"Yes, Professor," Sirius mumbled.

"Good," she said briskly. "Now, off to your next class, gentlemen, or you'll be late."

**A/N Thanks for reading!**


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